1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an armature and a motor.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-271188 (corresponding to US2006/0208605A1) discloses an armature of a motor. The armature has windings, which are wound around tooth portions of a core and form crossovers. The crossover of each winding connects between corresponding wound parts (coils) of the winding that are wound around the corresponding tooth portions.
In the armature of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-271188, the crossovers overlap or cross one after another in the axial direction of the core. Thus, the axial size of the armature is disadvantageously increased. Particularly, for example, a fan motor, which cools a radiator of a vehicle, such as a passenger automobile, is normally provided to a location that is adjacent to the radiator in an engine room of the vehicle. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the axial size of the entire motor. In view of this, the axial size of the armature of the fan motor should be reduced to meet such a demand.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-309942 discloses another armature of an electric motor. In this armature, linear crossover guide grooves are formed in an axial end surface of a dielectric insulation cover installed at one axial end of a core of the armature. Each of the linear crossover guide grooves extends from one point at an outer peripheral surface of the insulation cover to another point at the outer peripheral surface of the insulation cover near another tooth portion to receive a crossover of the corresponding winding. At the time of winding the windings around tooth portions of the core, the crossovers are effectively guided along the guide grooves. Therefore, accurate positioning of the crossovers on the core is possible at the time of winding the windings. However, in this instance, the precise positioning of the crossovers along the guide grooves is required, so that a high precision winding machine is required. Also, when the number of crossovers of the windings is increased, the crossovers, which are axially overlapped, may axially protrude, thereby increasing the axial size of the armature core.
In addition, in a brushless motor, a control circuit device, which supplies electric current, switches supply of the electric current to windings, so that circuit power supply portions of the circuit device need to be electrically connected to the windings. In a case where the circuit device and the brushless motor are integrated together, an intermediate terminal is provided between the circuit power supply portion of the circuit device and the winding to electrically connect therebetween (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-527376 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,783B1).
However, when the intermediate terminal is provided between the circuit power supply portion of the circuit device and the winding, costs may be disadvantageously increased. Thus, there is a need for reducing or minimizing the costs while implementing effective connections between the circuit power supply portion of the circuit device and the winding.